Carved in stone

Have you seen figures or tableware made of stone? Pause a while, to ponder. Who creates this poetry in stone? Meet the artisans.

Stone carvers from Mammalapuram. Photo: Rainer Nitzsche

In the old days, most of the articles for everyday use were crafted by hand. The persons who created these objects like earthenware pots, stone vessels, plates and many others, are called craftspersons who made a living because these utility items were always in demand. With the passage of time and change in living standards, most Indians adopted the Western style of living, and found that the once useful objects at home were no longer practical to use. The craftspersons found it hard to sell their beautifully crafted products, and slowly drifted to other areas of work.

Family rules

Certain crafts were part of an oral tradition, that is, the secrets and instructions for making most of the craft were handed over from father to son, and nothing was recorded in books as it is now. A child born into the craft community grew up absorbing the vocation of the parents, learnt the craft naturally and continued the profession. He could use simple, safe tools guided by his parents.

Let us look at stone carving. If you drive to Mamallapuram, near Chennai you would have seen the workers hacking away at stone and fashioning intricately carved figures and other objects. Stone was probably one of the first materials used by man. The stone sculptors are thought to be direct descendants of Viswakarma (god of arts and crafts.)There are strict rules to be observed for selection of stone and the proportions of the human body are calculated according to guidelines prescribed in the Shilpa Shastras . Granite is one of the hardest stones next to diamonds, and the tools of the granite sculptors go out of shape every two hours. They are re-heated and beaten back to shape.

A while ago, Crafts Council of India conducted workshops with these artisans and provided them with semi powered lathes (tools which help to cut and shape) to make their work easier.

The stone sculptors continue to make their living because they are commissioned to build temples, and carve idols and figures for them. Some of them make soft stone lamps, vessels and tableware for homes. Objects made from natural raw material are far more beautiful than synthetic ones and more precious because they are hand-crafted.